Waterford’s preparations for their opening game of the Allianz League against Tipperary, under the Semple Stadium lights on February 15th next, received a setback in wind and rain swept Carraiganore on Sunday last where the home side went down to a four point defeat by University of Limerick. Twelve months ago the Limerick college inflicted a similar defeat on Michael Ryan’s side but the result did not impact on a good start to the league and Derek McGrath and his management team will be hoping that this early setback will be no more than a wake up call.
When county teams suffer defeats to College sides in these pre season cup games it is often explained by the fact that the College teams are more advanced in their preparations for the Fitzgibbon Cup and the county sides have been doing heavy physical training right up to the day before the game. Such was not the case here. This was a very poor performance by a strong Waterford side that has been in full training for over a month and, besides playing challenge games against Antrim, Dublin and U.C.C., they have been doing a lot of hurling training under coach Frank Flannery.
With a panel of over fifty five players in training one might have expected a number of new faces getting the opportunity to impress in a serious game but it was a strong and very experienced Waterford side that took the field with just Tadhg Burke and Ryan Donnelly making senior competitive debuts. The Limerick college fielded a useful side, even without their Clare seniors, and from the outset looked the more focussed and committed outfit as they coped much more efficiently with the driving wind and rain than their opponents.
Waterford had the assistance of the elements playing into the dressing room end in the first half and lined out with just one change from the selected line out that saw Shane Walsh in at centre forward for Seamus Prendergast. After the home side shot an early wide the Limerick puck out travelled no more than forty metres into the breeze and it was obvious that progress against the breeze could only be made by playing a passing game. This U. L. did impressively throughout a first half that saw Waterford struggling to come to terms with the elements and the technical superiority of their opponents.
The college side opened the scoring with a Tom O’Brien point from a free in the second minute and after Ryan Donnelly was denied what seemed a simple tap in by Shane Hassett in the Limerick goal Waterford shot successive wides before Kevin Moran opened his side’s account in the 8th minute. The home side might have been expected to settle and push on from that point with the aid of the breeze but U. L. retained their composure and game plan with excellent ball handling and control and regained the lead in the 13th minute when Tommy Heffernan, who had just replaced the injured Tom O’Brien, sent over from a free.
The Waterford forwards were getting little change out of a tight marking defence and it was left to Jamie Nagle to level the tie in the 15th minute. Stephen O’Keeffe was forced into a great save from Galway’s Johnny Glynn before Maurice Shanahan gave his side the lead following a foul on Ryan Donnelly. Shane O’Sullivan followed up with a point from play.
Poor finishing continued to frustrate the Waterford forwards while the students always looked dangerous on the attack. Even making allowance for the terrible conditions some of the decisions, or indecisions, of the referee were baffling and frustrated both sides as clear fouls went unpunished. Heffernan’s second point from a free left a point between the sides after twenty seven minutes but there was to be no explosive finish to the half as O’Sullivan and Heffernan (F) exchanged further points before a late point from a free by Maurice Shanahan gave his side a far from adequate two point lead at the break on a score of 0 – 6 to 0 – 4.
The greatest concern for Waterford at the end of the first half must have been the fact that despite the backing of a near gale force breeze not one forward had scored from play.
The second half saw Stephen Molumphy replacing Ray Barry in the Waterford attack and Ian O’Regan taking over from Stephen O’Keeffe between the posts.. Kevin Moran switched from wing back to midfield with Jamie Nagle while Jamie Barron started as a third midfielder.
The players were on the field five minutes, trying to keep warm, while the match officials finished their extended tea break and when the referee threw in the ball there was a scramble in midfield for the ball involving up to eighteen players. When the ball was thrown in for the second time Waterford went on the attack shooting wide of the posts with two attempts. With just three minutes played a U. L. attack saw a high ball into the Waterford goalmouth but, as O’Regan prepared to gather, full forward Johnny Glynn appeared to get the slightest touch and the ball crossed the goal line. Waterford had a great chance to cancel out that score when Moran put Molumphy through on goal but the Ballyduff man’s effort was blocked for a ’65’ which substitute Pauric Mahony, who had just replaced  Ryan Donnelly, sent wide.
The Limerick side increased their lead with points from Tommy Heffernan and wing back Padraic Walsh as Stephen Roche replaced Jamie Barron and Mikey O’Neill went into the Limerick attack. With the wind turning across field and the conditions brightening up Waterford were seeing plenty of the ball but the wides tally continued to mount with easy chances squandered from frees and play while the opposition moved into a five point lead with fine scores from Brian Stapleton and Tommy Heffernan.
It was nineteen minutes into the second half before had their first score, a point from play by Maurice Shanahan but U. L. again hit back with points from substitutes Ryan and O’Neill and a delightful score from Tipperary’s Brian Stapleton for a seven point lead with five minutes remaining.
The closing minutes saw Waterford piling on the pressure but the best they could come up with was a three point salvo from Maurice Shanahan frees and a total of seventeen wides told the story of a poor attacking performance by the home side. U. L. showed that at full strength they will be a force in the Fitzgibbon Cup and they had fine performances from Shane Hassett, in goal, Jack Sheehan and Padraic Walsh in defence, Thomas Ryan in midfield and Johnny Glynn and Brian Stapleton in attack. For Waterford only Philip Mahony, Michael Walsh, Kevin Moran and Shane O’Sullivan made any impression though Stephen Molumphy did improve matters when introduced.
U. L. will return to Carraiganore on Sunday next to face Waterford I. T. in the quarter final.
Scorers:-U. L. – Tommy Heffernan 0 – 4 (Fs), Johnny Glynn 1 – 0, Brian Stapleton and Mikey O’Neill 0 – 2 each, Tom O’Brien(F), Padraic Walsh and Mikey Ryan 0 – 1 each.
Waterford – Maurice Shanahan 0 – 6 (5Fs), Shane O’Sullivan 0 – 2, Kevin Moran and Jamie Nagle 0 – 1 each.
U. L. – Shane Hassett(Tipperary), Mark Carmody(Limerick), Jack Sheehan(Cork), Jack Browne(Clare), Daire Quinn(Tipperary), Dan Morrissey(Limerick), Padraic Walsh(Kilkenny), Bill Maher(Tipperary), Thomas Ryan(Limerick), Cathal Malone(Clare), Brian Stapleton(Tipperary), Tom O’Brien(Limerick), Jason Forde(Tipperary), Jonathan Glynn(Galway), Eamonn Murphy(Waterford). Subs – Tommy Heffernan(Tipperary) for O’Brien, Mikey Ryan(Limerick) for Murphy, Mikey O’Neill(Clare) for Forde, Pa Ryan(Tipperary) for Quinn.
WATERFORD – Stephen O’Keeffe, Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Tadhg Burke, Philip Mahony, Michael Walsh, Kevin Moran, Shane O’Sullivan, Jamie Nagle, Jake Dillon, Shane Walsh, Ray Barry, Ryan Donnelly, Maurice Shanahan, Jamie Barron. Subs – Ian O’Regan for O’Keeffe, Stephen Molumphy for Barry, Pauric Mahony for Donnelly, Stephen Roche for Barron.
Referee – Cathal McAllister (Cork) .